Record card controlled statistical machine



Feb. 19, 1935. L. E. BROUGHAM RECORD CARD CONTROLLED STATISTICALVMACHINE Filed March '7, 1953 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 I Il 0T. 13.4 6"1aewn o... la 44.61895 ODODIIDOIOIG s ARUCLE L.E.BROUGJZ1M Feb. 19, 1935. 1 E. BROUGHAM RECORD CARD CONTROLLED STATISTICAL MACHINE 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed March '7, 1935 L.EBROUGHAM Feb. 19, 1935. 1 E. BRQUGHAM 1,991,729

RECORD CARD 'CONTROLLED STATISTICAL MACHINE Filed March '7, 1935 3 Sheets-Sheet I5 fiumi Patented Feb. 1 9`, 191.55 l I i 1,991,129 aEconn cam) coN'raoELEn ls'rirrxs'rroar. MACHINE UNITED sTATEs PATENT Iori-ICE Leslie Ernest Brougham, Purley, England, assignor to The Accounting & Tabulating Corpoilxtliim of Great Britain Limited, London, Eng- Application Maren 1, 1933, serial No. 659,931 l In Great Britain March 9, 1932 7 Claims. (Cl. 101-1) I This invention relates to record card controlled holes or slots. corresponding to the number of statistical machines and has for its main object register pins employed.y The register pins are so to provide means for giving an indication or disposed with regard to the sensing pins and the stopping the machine when a'- card is incorrectly register holes or slots are so disposed with regard presented to the analyzing device of the machine. to the sensing hole positions on the card that The invention relates more particularly to that when a card is in correct position for sensing, the

type of statistical machine in which the cards are register pins can pass through the register holes delivered from a magazine (by meansof a picker or slots in the card under the action of their to a plurality of feed rolls which feed the cards) springs. f Y 10 to an analyzing device in which they are analyzed Ii, however, the card is incorrectly positioned while stationary. The feed rolls employed in this one or other of the register pins will engage with operation may grip the card vat its opposite ends the edge of its hole and will consequently fail to or they may grip it throughout its length but in pass through the card. Operative connections either case the feed rolls have to be carefully adare provided between the register pins and the justed both in regard to their position in the mamechanism for controlling the machine, whereby chine and in regard to their speed of revolution when any register `pin fails to pass through a card in order to ensure the card being accurately prethe machine is stopped. sented to the analyzing device. Such `a machine Thus the register pins may also be utilized is described in Powers United States patent for stopping the machine by passing a blank card specification No. 1,245,502. through the machine which will prevent any of If, however, in spite of the general accuracy the register pins from passing through the card. of operation of the machine or due 4to a card be- One construction according tothe invention is ing damaged or worn, a card should become inillustrated by way of example in the accomcorrectly presented to the analyzing device, the panying drawings in which the invention is resulting error may involve a great loss of time. shown as applied to a tabulating machine of the In the case of a tabulator accumulating and type exemplified by that described in Powers printing totals of items recorded on the cards an United States patent specification No. 1,245,502, error due to incorrect feeding ofA a single card and the register pins are employed to control the may cause a serious discrepancy in the iinal total stopping of the machine when a `card is incorof a large number 'of items, and although the rectly positioned inthe pin box.

probability of such an error occurring in prac- In the drawings: tice is exceedingly remote it does occur and it is Fig. 1 illustrates in side elevation that part necessary to provide means for detecting inof the machineembodying the mechanism accorrect feeding of a card immediately it has occording to the invention;

'35 curred in order to obviate the loss of time other- Fig. 2 is a plan of the mechanismshown in Fig. l;

wise involved in searching. for the error. It is Fig. 3 is an elevation looking in the direction also possible for cards to be sometimes inserted of the arrow A in Fig. 2; l

in the machine the wrong way round, and itis Fig. 4 shows the mechanism according to the imperative that such a fault be detected .at once. invention in perspective;

v- .10 To the above ends according to one form of Fig. 5 illustrates a normal item card and the the present invention, a statistical machine havposition of certain partsA of the control mechaing an analyzing device in the form of reciprocatnism when the item card is correctly positioned; ing sensing pins comprises means for setting or Fig. 6 illustrates the position of parts of the arresting the passage of the card at the sensing control mechanism for stopping the machine; zone and register members at each side of the Fig. 7 shows the position of parts of the con- 'card path adapted to sense each card and test trol mechanism when there is no card in the the correctness of its position, and means conmachine; and f trolled by said register members to give an indi- Fig. 8 illustrates one form of card for use with cation or signal when a Card is incOrreCtly DO- the mechanism according to the invention. to sitioned with respect t0 the sensing vinsl In the drawings like reference numerals desig- Pr'eferably an operative connection is provided nate the same or similar parts. between the register members and the controls .In the construction illustrated in the drawof the machine whereby the machine is stopped ings the pin box is similar to that described in when a card is incorrectly positioned. I United States v patent specification No. 1,245,502 Preferably each register member is inthe form and is disposed below the usual stationary perof two or more pins adapted to be moved into enforated pin plates 1. 'I'he pin box is provided gagement with the card by the pin box throughv with downwardly extending side plates 2 carthe intermediary of a yielding connection, for rying pins 3 which-engage with tracks formed example a spring. Each card is provided at each incam discs 4 secured to a shaft 5. The pin of its sides with a number of register notches, box is reciprocated vertically by means of the cam discs 4, the shaft 5 being rotated through gearing 6, 7 and 8 driven through a worm 9 on a main shaft i which is operated from an electric motor (not shown).

The shaft is supported in bearings 11 disposed outslde the side plates 12 of the framework of the mechanism, and the gearing 6, 7, 8 is also disposed outside the plates 12 to the left in Fig. 3. The cam discs 4 together with the mechanism according to the invention are disposed between the plates l2.

Disposed at each side of the pin box is a register member in the form of a bar 13, 13a. The bar 13 carries two register pins 14 and three abutment pins 15, one at each end of the bar and one located between the register pins. Similarly, the bar 13a carries two register pins 14a and two abutment pins 15a. The bar 13 is carried in a horizontal position on a vertical rod 16 freely mounted in the frame of the tabulator sensing pin box and provided with a spring 17 in the same manner as are the sensing pins. Slmiliarly, the bar 13a is carried on a vertical rod 16a provided with a spring 17a. The perforated sensing plates l are provided with two register holes 1a at each side through which the register pins 14 and 14a may pass, and with three further holes 1b through which the abutment pins 15, a may pass. The pin boxmay be similar in construction and operation to that described in United States patent specification No. 1,245,502, but is extended at each side to accommodate the supporting rods 16, 16a for the bars 13, 13a carrying the register pins 1,4, 14a.

The lower end of one of these supporting rods 16 is pivoted to a lever 18 secured to a cross shaft 19, while the lower end of the other supporting rod 16a is pivoted to a similar lever 18a which is also secured to the cross shaft 19. The cross shaft 19 is freely supported in brackets 20, 20a secured to the side plates 12 of the framework of the mechanism.

For operation with this form of machine each normal item record card is provided with two holes at each side, outside' the usual columns provided for record holes, adapted to engage with the two register pins 14, 14a at each side of the pin box and the abutment pins l5, 15a are made shorter than the register pins and of such length that when the register pins pass through the card the abutment pins rest against the surface of the card.

An example of a record card for use with the invention is illustrated in Fig. 8, the card being shown in the form in which it is sold, i. e. without any record perforations therein.

On this card the whole of the area lying within the dotted lines 21 is available for the punching of record perfrations and may be printed of index numerals, gen- The part of the card within the dotted lines 21 is therefore approximately equal in area to the usual record card hitherto known. At each side, however, the card is extended to form marginal portions 22, 22a. in which are formed register holes 23, 23a which cci-operate with the register pins 14, 14a already described. These holes are formed simultaneously with the operation of stamping the card blank out of a sheet or strip of card material.

Thusitwillbeseenthatthemarginaiportions 22 and 22a are ouide the area occupied by the usual columns for item perforations and that the employment of the register holes 23,

erally 45 in number.

23a does not reduce the space available for item holes. l f

In a similar manner the holes la at each end of the perforated sensing plates 1 in the machine are placed outside the area of the perforations corresponding to the index positions on the cards.

In order to enable the invention to be more clearly understood the operation of the mechanism according thereto will be briefly described beforedescribing the details thereof.

Taking rst the case of a record card which is correctly located in the pin box, the latter rises to sense the item perforations in the card, and the register pins 14, 14a at both sides of the pin box pass through the register holes 23, 23a in the marglns22, 22a of the card, whereby the operation of the machine is permitted to continue without interruption'. If, however, the card is incorrectly located in the pin box, the register pins 14, 14a will engage with the edges of the corresponding register holes 23, 23a and consequently will be held down by the card. This failure of the register pins to rise will cause the machine to stop by means of mechanism which will be hereinafter described.

The actual mechanism for effecting stopping oi' the machine forms no part of the presentinvention, and consequently will not be described knock-off shaft against a collar 26 on a switch rod 27 similar to the switch rod 33 described in Powers' United States patent specification No. 1,245,506. switch rod 27 operates an electric switch 28 controlling the source of power to the/machine.

It will thus be seen that when the machine is running a rocking 4movement of the knock-off shaft 24 will move the switch rod 25 to effect stopping of the machine.

This rocking ofthe knock-off shaft 24 is controlled by means of the register pins 14, 14a which,

oted to the ends of levers 18, 18a secured to the cross shaft 19. The other end of the lever 18 is pivoted to a second lever-29 which in turn is pivoted between its ends on a pin 30 projecting from an arm 31 attached to a rod 32 fixed in the side plates 12 of the mechanism. T'he arm 31 is disposed vertically and the pin 30 referred to above projects laterally from the upper end of the arm. The end 33 of this second lever 29 remote from the register pins-serves as an abutment for a projection 34 carried on an intermediate lever 35 also pivoted on the pin 30. The pin 30 projects through a slot 36 in the intermediate lever 35 whereby the latter can slide longitucnnally on the pin 30 in addition to pivoting thereon (Fig. 4). A spring 37 is anchored at one end to a pin 38 on the intermediate lever 35 and at the other end to the pin 30 so that the lever 35 is normally held over to the left in Fig. 4.

The free end of the intermediate lever 35 carries two abutments 39 and 40 spaced apart one above the other and adapted to co-operate, in a manner which will shortly be explained, with two vertical levers, one of which will for convenience be termed the driving lever 41 and the other the driven lever 42. Of these two vertical levers, the driving lever is carried on a sleeve 43 freely mounted on the knock-olf shaft 24, while the driven lever 42 is fixed to the knock-ofi' shaft. The sleeve 43 also carries an arm 44 of which the i turns about the pin pin box continues tomove up wise direction about free end carries a roll 45 engaging with a groove 46 in a rotating cam 47 (Figs. 1', 2 and 3) adapted to make one revolution for every cycle of the ma.- chine. As the cam 47 rotates ther arm 44 is rocked clockwise and back and consequently the driving lever Y41 is rocked also.

Also anchored to the pin 38 on the intermediate lever 35 is a spring 48 of which the other end is anchored to apnV 49 on the driven lever 42. By means of this spring 48 the right hand end of the intermediate lever 35 (in Fig. 4) tends to be pulled downwards, whereby the projection 34 on the lever 35 always tends to remain in contact with the upper edge of the lever 29. The spring 48 opposes Ithe springs 17, 17a, but is much weaker than they.

The driving lever 41 carries at `its upper end a lateral projection 50 which can pass between the abutments 39, 40 on the intermediate lever 35 or can engage with one or other of them. The upper end of the driven lever 42 is in engagement with both abutments 39 and 40, the arrangement being such that the abutments lie between the lateral projectionv 50 on the driving lever 41 and the upper end 42a of the driven lever if the intermediate lever 35 30 so that one or other of the abutments 39, 40 comes into register with the lateral projection 50 on the driving lever 41, the rocking movement of the latter in a clockwise direction will be transmitted through the abutment 39 or 40 to the driven lever 42 and the knock-off shaft 24 will be rocked and the switch 28 will be operated to stop the machine.

The operation lof the mechanism will now be described.

A record card of Consequently,

.the form shown in Fig. 8 is fed into the pin box between the perforated pin plates 1 and is arrested by the usual card stop` 100` (Fig. 2 The-construction and operation of this card stop is described inv Powers United States patent specification No. 1,245,502 already referred to. f'

The pin box rises to sense the item perforations in the card and with it rise the bars 13, 13a carrying the register pins 14, 14a and the abutment pins 15, 15a. tioned for sensing the register pins 14, 14a will pass through the register holes 23, 23al in the marginal portions 22, 22a of the card (see Fing. 8) and the bars 13, 13a will continue to rise with the pin box until the abutment pins 15, 15a come into contact with the under-surface of the card. The

to the top of its stroke leaving the bars 13, 13a behind at the expense of compressing the springs 17, 17a surrounding the supporting rods 16, 16a for these bars 13, 13a.

Fig. 4 shows the parts in the positions which they occupy when the pin box and bars 13, 13a are at the bottom of their stroke. The abutments 39 and 40 on the intermediate lever 35 are so placed that when the bars 13, `13a are at the bottom-of their stroke the upper abutment 39 lies between the lateral projection 50 on the driving lever 41 and the upper end of the driven lever 42.

At this time, however, the driving lever 41 is stationary in the position shown in Fig. 4, and consequently no movement is imparted to the driven lever 42.

When, however, the bars 13, 13a rise with thc pin box until arrested by the engagement of the abutment pins 15, 15a with the underside of the cardfthe levers 18, 18a are rocked in a clockthe shaft 19. Consequently .again (FE. 4) but If the card'is correctly posithe lever 29 is rocked in an anti-clockwise direction about the pivot pin 30 and its right hand end 33 acting on the pin 34 swings the intermediate lever 35 also in an anti-clockwise direction about the pivot pin 30. This movement of the intermediate lever 35 is just sufllcient to raise the upper abutment 39 clear of the lateral projection 50 on the upper end of the driving lever 41 but not suflicient to bring the lower abutment 40 into the path of this projection (Figs. 4 and 5). The cam disc 47 then operates to swing the driving lever 4l in a clockwise direction and back as neither abutment 39, 40 is in the path of the projection 50, this movement is idle and is n'ot transmitted to the driven lever 42.

It should be observed in this connection thatthe cam 47 is so set with respect to the pin box operating cam 4 that the cam 47 effects this swinging the cycle when the pin box is stationary at the top of the stroke.

Since the driven lever 42 remains stationary, the knock-off shaft 24 is not moved and consequently the machine continues to run uninterruptedly.

If, however, a card is fed into the pin box incorrectly, for example, if by reason of the card being damaged, itj comes torl rest in a position which will not permit the item sensing pins to pass clearly through the item perforations, the

` movement ofthe driving lever 41 at the point in mechanism according to the invention causes rocking of the knock-olf shaft whereby the machine is stopped. The sequence of operations to eiect this result will now be described.

The register holes'23, 23a, in the card are o such a size that the register pins 14, 14a, can just pass through them if the card is correctly set in the pin box. If, however, the card is slightly askew one or more of the register pins 14, 14a on rising will engage with the edges of their corre'- sponding register holes 23, 23a. Consequently, the bars 13, 13a will be prevented from rising with the pin box and will remain substantially in the position shown in Figs. 4 and 6. They will in fact rise to a slight extent, but this movement is in practice very small and insufficient to raise the upper abutment 39 clear of the lateral projection 50 on the driving lever 41. Consequently, when the latter swings clockwise under the control of its cam 47, the abutment 39 will be between the projection 50 and the upper end ofthe driven lever 42. Therefore, the movement of the driving lever 41 will be imparted to the driven lever 42 which will also be swung clockwise, whereby the knock-off shaft 24 to which this lever 42 is fixed will be rocked clockwise and through the agency of its arm 25 will pull the rod 27 to the right in Figs. 1 `ancl 4, thereby operating the switch 28 to stop the machine. In this connection it should be `noted that the slot 36 in the intermediate .lever 35 permits it to move bodily to the right in Fig. 4 when the driving lever 41 swings in the clockwise direction.

'Ihe same result will be obtained by feeding into the pin box a card having no register holes in its margins 22,22a, such a card acting as a stop card. i

If, on the other hand, there is no card in the pin box the bars 13 and 13a will rise with the pin box to the top of its stroke, the register pins 14, 14a and the abutment pins 15, 15a both being unobstructed and therefore able to pass through their corresponding holes 1a and 1b in the pin plates 1. This movement of the bars 13 and 13a intermediate lever 35 to such an extent that the lower abutment 40 is brought into the path of the projection on the driving lever 41 (see Fig. 7). Consequently, when the driving lever 41 is moved clockwise it carries with it the driven lever 42 through the agency of the lower projection 40, whereby the knock-of! shaft 24 is rocked and the machine stopped as described above.

It will be understood that the invention also includes as one of its features a statistical record columns on the cards. 'I'he holes may be round, square, or oi any desired form. Also, instead of employing a card having holas formed therein, the card may be provided with two or more open slots or serrations at its ends to engage with the register pins. Again, the register holes may be replaced by one or more elongated slots at each side of the card.

The holes at each side of the card are preferably notsymmetrically disposed so that the machine will stop ii.' cards are reversed, although it is possible to arrange them symmetrically ii it is desired that the machine may be properly operated when the card is reversed as when adding the complements of numbers. Further, ii the holes at each side of the card are symmetrically disposed, it is unnecessary to provide as many` register pins as there are holes, the register pins need notl be symmetrical the symmetry of the holes renders it possible to reverse the card for complementary adding. In fact, a card having only one register hole at each side will be suitable, provided that the holes are on the centre line of the card.

Although the invention has been particularly described as applied to a tabulating machine, it will be understood that it is equally well applicable to any statistical machine having mechanical sensing members, such for example, as a sorting machine.

What I'claim isr- 1. In a statistical machine having an analyzing device including sensing pins, means for reciprocating said pins and means for arresting the passage oi' a card at the sensing zone, the combination of register members spaced so wide apart as tol test the positions oi' both ends oi' each card, and a single means operable by said register members to give an indication when a card is incorrectly positioned with respect to the sensing Pins 2. In a statistical machine having an analyzing device including sensing pins, means for reciprocating said pins and means for arresting the passage o! a card at the sensing zone, the combination oi' register members at each side o! the card since althoughl position, means for stopping the machine, and an operativeconnection between the register members and said stopping means, whereby the machine is stopped when a card is incorrectly positioned with respect to the sensing pins.

3. In a statistical machine having an analyzing device including sensing pins, means for reciprocating said pins and means for arresting the passage of a card at the sensing zone, the "combination of a register bar at each side of the card path Oarrying a plurality of register pins and a plurality oi' shorter abutment pins, said register pins being adapted to pass through corresponding register holes in the card while the abutment pins engage with the unpertorated surface of the card, a yielding connection between the register bars and the means for reciprocating the sensing pins whereby the register bars are reciprocated synchronously with and in the same direction as the sensing pins, a control member, two abutments on said control member, a lever, means for rocking said lever, an operative connection between the register bars and the control member whereby when the register pins pass through holes in a card and the abutment pins engage with the unperiorated surface of the card, the control member takes up a position in which its abutments are clear of the rocking lever, whereas when an incorrectly positioned card is sensed, the control member takes up a position in which one of its abutments is in the path of the rocking lever whereby the control member is moved and when no card is in the sensing zone the control member takes up a position in which the other abutment is in the path ot the rocking lever,

the control member is likewise moved.v

whereby means for stopping the machine and an operative connection between the control member and said stopping means, whereby when the control member is moved the machine stops.

4. In a machine of the class described. the combination oi' a card chamber, a plurality of feelers acting to sense the position of the card at a plurality of points two of which are approximately at opposite ends of the card, means for moving said plurality oi.' feelers in unison to sensing position, and means controlled by said feelermoving means for stopping the machine in case any one oi' the feelers iinds the card out of position.

5. In a machine of the class described, the combination of a card chamber, feeling devices,

gagement with the card, said devices including ieelers adapted to enter holes spaced wide apart iny a properly positioned card and a Ieeler adapted to be arrested by a properly positioned card, so that said moving means may be arrested in one position ii' a card is improperly positioned in the chamber, in another position ii the card is properly positioned in the chamber, and in a third position ii' there is no card in the chamber, and means acting automatically in the rst and third said positions to stop the machine.

8. In a machine of the class described, the combination of a statistical card having one or more holes at each of its opposite sides outside the area occupied by the item columns ot the card, a chamber in which said card is sensed, ieelers for sensing the correctness oi the position oi said card in said chamber, and a single automatic means lfor giving a suitable indication in case any of said feelers tails to enter the appropriate hole.

7. In a machine oi' the class described, the combination with a card chamber and mechanism for analyzing perforated cards, of detector mechanism comprising a plurality of ieelers sense the proper posicommon part moving in unison with said feelers, and means controlled by said common part for giving a suitable indication in case the card is not placed properly. y

LESLIE ERNEST'BROUGIIAM.

the card and connected 

